Not Applicable
The present invention relates to the field of body protection devices, and more particularly to items of apparel that are inflatable so as to offer protection to a part of the wearer""s body.
Inflatable items for the protection of a part of the human body are well known. For example, items such as protective pads and helmets have been made with inflatable bladders to offer protection to a body part from blows, falls, and other sources of trauma. Also known are inflatable vests used as life preservers, i.e., to provide added buoyancy to keep the human body afloat in water.
Inflatable life vests of conventional design typically include a unitary internal bladder that is connected to a source of pressurized gas, typically a CO2 cartridge. The cartridge must be actuated manually, by pulling an actuation cord connected to a valve-actuation pin that opens a valve connecting the cartridge to a gas inlet tube communicating with the bladder.
In certain situations, it may be desirable to protect a person from a sudden trauma that may occur while the person is engaging in a hazardous or semi-hazardous activity. There may not be sufficient time or an appropriate opportunity to manually actuate the inflation mechanism of an inflatable protective garment (such as a vest) before the blow or fall is suffered. An example of such an activity is riding a mountain bike, motorcycle, ATV, personal water craft or other vehicle. While in some cases (particularly in riding a personal water craft), it may be acceptable or even desirable to wear a pre-inflated vest, in the case of motorcycle riding, it is not practical to do so. Consequently, motorcycle riders typically wear bulky jackets made of leather or other heavy material to offer protection in a fall. These bulky garments, however, are often uncomfortable, particularly in hot weather.
There has accordingly been a long-felt need for an inflatable protective garment that can be worn comfortably in a deflated condition, either alone or with a further jacket, and yet that can be automatically and nearly instantaneously inflated upon the onset of a potentially trauma-inducing incident. There further exists a long felt need for such an inflatable protective device that is aesthetically pleasing and does not resemble a protective garment.
Broadly, the present invention is a body protection device in the form of an inflatable garment having an inflation mechanism that is actuated in response to the separation or removal of the wearer from a motor vehicle, in particular, a motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile or personal water craft. In a specific preferred embodiment, the invention is embodied as an inflatable vest, comprising an inflatable bladder configured as a vest, a compressed gas cartridge communicating with the interior of the bladder through an inflation tube, and a cartridge actuation mechanism comprising a triggering device that can be actuated to open the cartridge. The triggering device includes an actuation lever that actuates the triggering device, and in doing so detaches from the actuation mechanism, upon being pulled with a force of predetermined magnitude. The invention further comprises a lanyard having a first end connected to the actuation lever and a second end that is attachable to the vehicle. When the wearer is thrown or forcibly separated from the vehicle, the lanyard exerts an actuation force on the actuation lever, which actuates the triggering device before detaching from the actuation mechanism, thereby opening the cartridge and allowing the gas from the cartridge to inflate the bladder.
In a further embodiment, the inflatable vest comprises an inflatable bladder configured as a vest that may be worn alone or under a jacket to which it may be removably held. The further embodiment is designed so as to resemble an article of clothing, and includes a compressed gas cartridge communicating with the interior of the bladder through an inflation tube that is held within an interior pocket formed in the vest, and which is hidden from view in the vest. A cartridge actuation mechanism comprising a triggering device that can be actuated to open the cartridge is also held in the interior pocket. The second embodiment of the invention also comprises a lanyard having a first end connected to one or more actuation levers in one or more interior pockets of the vest and a second end that is attachable to the vehicle. When the wearer is thrown or forcibly separated from the vehicle, the lanyard exerts an actuation force on the actuation lever(s), which actuates the triggering device(s) before detaching from the actuation mechanism, thereby opening the cartridge(s) and allowing the gas from the cartridge(s) to inflate the bladder.